JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

Valentino Rossi launches signature e-bike

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi hung up his leathers in November 2021 after one of the most illustrious careers ever on two wheels. A little less than two months later, in a retirement move that we certainly didn’t see coming, the Italian GOAT has launched his first e-bike. And what’s an even bigger surprise – given his association with a certain Japanese powerhouse – is that it doesn’t use a Yamaha electric motor.

Coming a week after Porsche announced it had acquired a controlling stake in GreyP e-bikes (itself founded by electric car entrepreneur Mate Rimac), could this mark the start of a big injection of cash from the automotive and motorbike industry? We’ll have to wait and see, but it certainly shows a growing interest in e-bikes.